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(Image credit: Tom's Hardware) Nvidia just released the GeForce Hotfix Display Driver 581.94 , which it says fixes performance issues seen in some games after Microsoft released KB5066835. The problematic mandatory patch was released in October and affected systems that ran Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, which introduced a bug that reduced game FPS in some instances, according to Windows Latest . Since this is a mandatory cumulative update, future Windows patches are also expected to experience the same problem, so it’s highly recommended that you download and apply the latest GPU driver if you experience some performance loss while gaming after installing the update.
While Nvidia says that only some games were affected by the bug, it seems to have been significant enough for it to release a hotfix instead of waiting for its regular driver update release schedule. Team Green says that GPU drivers are incredibly complex, especially as it has to deal with a potentially infinite number of hardware and software configurations. Because of this, it usually releases driver updates in line with major hardware and game launches after extensive testing.
However, this means that major issues could remain unaddressed as existing users wait for Nvidia’s regular release cadence. Because of this, the company drops hotfixes, which are released in advance to resolve major issues as soon as possible. For example, when the newly-launched 50-series GPUs started crashing and producing black screens, Nvidia dropped a hotfix outside of its usual release cadence to address the problem. When some issues remained unsolved, the company dropped another hotfix just a week after that to further address crashes and clock speeds.
How to get Windows 11 for free (or less than $15) — Get the latest Microsoft OS for less than the price of Windows 10's ESU
Windows Updates have recently been breaking a lot of stuff, including one that made USB keyboards and mice unusable in the Windows Recovery Environment and another that triggers BitLocker and encrypts your hard drive without warning. Thankfully, Nvidia stepped up relatively quickly and released an update to fix what the Windows Update broke. It’s unclear if Intel and AMD will release driver updates of their own to deal with KB5066835, especially as neither company has acknowledged any Windows Update-related problems so far, but Windows Latest said that GPUs from Intel and AMD are also suffering from performance issues brought about by this particular patch.
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpu-drivers/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpu-drivers/nvidia-releases-emergency-driver-update-for-windows-11-25h2-and-24h2-fixes-reduced-gaming-performance-driven-by-botched-windows-updates#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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